Ghost Soldiers
May 9-11
Written & Directed by Keli Crawford-Truckey
The Playwriting Award was established in 1977 by the Forest Roberts Theatre at NMU. The award is designed to encourage and stimulate artistic growth among educational and professional playwrights. It provides students and faculty the unique opportunity to mount and produce original work on the university stage. Submissions will be accepted biennially and must adhere to the theme of that competition cycle. They will be blindly read and judged by members of a screening committee. The winning play will be featured in our North Coast Theatre Festival Season.
NMU and North Coast Theatre Festival are excited to announce this year's world-premiere play is titled Ghost Soldiers. The play is written by and will be directed by Keli Crawford-Truckey. Ghost Soldiers tells the story of the soldiers who were a part of the "Polar Bear Expedition" during World War I. The action jumps back and forth between brief vignettes between the 1930s, ’40s, ’50s, ’60s, '70s, and World War I (specifically 1918-1919).
Inspired by the Grandfather of NMU professors Paul and Dan Truckey, as well as other Michiganders who entered WWI looking to find part of themselves through their service as soldiers. Ghost Soldiers is a play that follows six young men who hoped to join the US forces in Europe, only to find themselves face to face with the Bolsheviks in frozen Northern Russia - a story about self-identity, self-acceptance, warfare, and tyranny. How we construct ourselves in the reflections of our family and country's politics. More importantly, it is about what we say to the people we love, and what we don’t.
MEANT FOR A MATURE AUDIENCE | APPROXIMATE RUN TIME: 1HR 30Mins
*** This production contains some adult language and themes such as war and gun violence, alcohol and tobacco use.***
Thursday, May 9th at 7:30pm - Opening Night Party
Friday, May 10th at 7:30pm
Saturday, May 11th at 7:30pm
Location: Panowski Black Box Theatre
Tickets are $20 for General Public, $15 for NMU Faculty/Staff, Seniors, and Military, $13 for Students, and $5 for NMU Students.
Cast List
| Iron Mike | Copeland Diver |
| Alice | Maisie James |
| Francis | Megan Lee |
| Cowboy | Asa Naigus |
| Dalton | Wyatt Schmitt |
| Greenbean | Cayden Smaka |
The Professor Sheriff | Ambrose Meteyer |
Lt. Colonel Le Roy Bolshevik Soldier A British Officer C | Michael Ahlstrom |
British Commander Newt British Officer A Bolshevik Soldier B | Liam Fisher |
Musky British Officer B | Dobbs Nichols |
Creative Team
| Writer, Director, & Properties Designer | Keli Crawford-Truckey |
| Choreographer | Megan Lee |
| Scenic Designer | Bill Digneit |
| Costume Designer | Em Rossi |
| Sound Designer | Jalina McClain |
| Production Stage Manager | Emily Kendall |
| Technical Director | Braeden Ingersoll |
Additional Artistic Staff
More details coming soon!
† Indicates membership in Alpha Psi Omega, the National Theatre Honor Society.
North Coast Theatre Festival Professional Staff
| Producer | Bill Digneit |
| Artistic Director | Jill Grundstrom |
| Director of Production | David Pierce |
| Costume Shop Supervisor | Em Rossi |
| Lighting Supervisor | David Pierce |
| Properties Supervisor | Keli Crawford-Truckey |
| Scene Shop Supervisor | Braeden Ingersoll |
| Associate Scene Shop Supervisor | Emily Kendall |
| Scenic/Paint Supervisor | Lex van Blommestein |
| Sound and Media Supervisor | Dominic Mrakovcich |
| Marketing & Box Office Manager | Emily Burbey |
| Photographer | John Scheibe |
North Coast Theatre Festival Staff
| Costume Shop Staff | Gianna Bratke, Zephyrus Choberka, Rhiannyn McClauley, Lucy Plancia, Suzanne Shahbazi, Charlotte Somerville, Fen Torenvliet, Elise Wilcox |
| Electrics Crew Lead | Marla Alden |
| Sound/Media Crew Lead | Ryan Harvey |
| Electrics/Sound Technicians | Carley Bishop, Cyrus Cohen, Meara Kronsperger, Dane Krusick, Rachel Martin, Brayden Smith, Olly Wells |
| Marketing/Box Office Staff | Tyler Crowley, Gianna Daprai, Zoë Hajec, Keely-Shaye Hanson †, Bryson Krieger † |
Scene Shop Technicians
| Cassie Bowler, Maggie Brew, Tyler Crowley, Isabella Fontaine, Laura Hinz, Emily Iszler, Bryson Krieger †, Henry Moore, Grace Terwilliger, Sam Wardisiani |
† Indicates membership in Alpha Psi Omega, the National Theatre Honor Society.
Cast Bios
Coming soon!
Creative Team Bios
Coming soon!